Understanding Cookies: What You Need to Know
Welcome to our website! We want to make sure you have the best experience possible while also respecting your privacy. That’s why we think it’s essential to talk about cookies. Not the kind you dunk in milk, but the small text files that help our website function smoothly and efficiently. These Internet (HTTP) cookies are vital to the modern web experience, but they can also pose some privacy concerns. So, let’s dive in and learn more about the cookies we use, why we use them, and how they affect you.
What Are Cookies?
Imagine you walk into your favorite coffee shop, and the barista instantly knows your usual order. How? Because they remember you. Cookies work similarly. When you visit a website, a cookie—a small text file—is stored on your computer, laptop, smartphone, or tablet. This file helps the website remember you and your preferences the next time you visit.
Cookies make websites work better. They give us insights into how you and other visitors use our site, helping us improve your experience. For instance, we can see which pages you visit most often, what kind of device you’re using, and even which advertisements catch your eye.
But don’t worry, cookies are secure. They don’t store personal information like your phone number or email address, so they can’t be used for spam or telemarketing. Think of cookies as a friendly helper, not a nosy neighbor.
Types of Cookies We Use
Now, let’s talk about the types of cookies our website uses and why they matter.
Functional Cookies
Functional cookies are like the foundation of a house—they ensure everything runs smoothly. These cookies might store your permission to save other types of cookies on your device. They have minimal impact on your privacy and are essential for the website to work correctly. Because of their importance and low privacy impact, we don’t need to ask your permission to use these cookies.
Analytical Cookies
Analytical cookies are our little detectives. We use Google Analytics cookies to help us understand how you use our website. These cookies track things like how often you visit, which pages you spend the most time on, and how you navigate through our site.
We’ve made sure that the data collected by these cookies is as anonymous as possible. For example, Google Analytics removes part of your IP address to keep your identity safe. This information helps us improve our website’s structure, navigation, and content, making your visits more enjoyable and efficient. We don’t need your permission to use these cookies because they don’t collect personal information that can identify you.
Other Cookies
In addition to functional and analytical cookies, we use some cookies that require your consent. When you navigate to a subpage of our website and give your permission, these cookies are stored on your device.
One example is social media cookies. Have you ever shared a webpage on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn? The buttons that make sharing easy use cookies. These cookies come from the social media platforms themselves and track what you share. To learn more about how these platforms use your data, check their privacy policies. We don’t have control over how they handle your information.
Keeping Your Privacy Safe
We know privacy is important to you. It’s important to us too. That’s why we aim to protect your privacy while ensuring our website works as efficiently as possible.
Our use of cookies is designed to enhance your experience without compromising your privacy. Functional cookies keep the website running smoothly, analytical cookies help us improve our services, and other cookies allow you to connect and share content easily.
Third-Party Websites and Privacy
It’s worth noting that our privacy policy applies to our website only. If you click on a hyperlink that takes you to another site, or if you interact with third-party content, their privacy policies will apply. We can’t control how other websites handle your information, so we encourage you to read their privacy statements.